This ‘Jersey Shore’ Cast Member Was the First One Chosen For the Show

MTV’s Jersey Shore was one of the most iconic reality shows to ever grace our television screens. More than a decade later, the cast is still relevant, continuing the saga with Jersey Shore: Family Vacation. And producers recently revealed the first star to ever be accepted into the show’s cast.

‘Jersey Shore’ was originally supposed to be ‘America’s Biggest Guido’

When Jersey Shore was first born into an idea, its premise was drastically different from what it became. The show was originally supposed to be a competition to find the biggest “guido” in the United States, appropriately called America’s Biggest Guido.

Jersey Shore producer SallyAnn Salsano told Vulture that she “received stock footage” of the guido show and loved the idea. The production company opted to shoot in Seaside Heights, which was a shore town in New Jersey well-known for its “guido” nature. From there, the show was dropped from VH1 and picked up by MTV; it became Jersey Shore — the next big reality show.

Mike ‘The Situation’ Sorrentino was the first one to be cast

When it came to choosing cast members, there were a few ways of discovering people. Some applied, while others were found at night clubs and even messaged on social media. But Mike ‘The Situation’ Sorrentino was the first to fully win over producers.

Sorrentino heard about the show through a friend, and he immediately wanted to be involved. “In 2008, I was trying to do fitness and underwear modeling and it wasn’t really working out,” Sorrentino told Vulture. “Someone told me that VH1 was trying to do a show about guidos from the East Coast.” He went on to audition and was immediately selected.

Sorrentino took his shirt off at the audition

Sorrentino’s not-so-charming personality wasn’t what won over producers. Rather, he opted to take off his shirt the moment he auditioned, and the bizarre action instantly set him apart from others.

“Situation walked in and was like, ‘Okay, let me just take my shirt off first,’” producer Salsano revealed. “I have never in my life met someone that felt more comfortable upon not knowing you… We had never really seen anyone do that before.” Ultimately, the move landed Sorrentino a spot on the show. Salsano later said she wanted to add women to the mix because “the girls fight,” suggesting it would make for more interesting television.

Other cast members were discovered in bizarre ways

Sorrentino might have auditioned, as did Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, but not everyone was cast in that way. Paul “Pauly D” DelVecchio told Vulture that he had actually been DJing at a club in Rhode Island when he received a message via MySpace; camera crews wanted to see what his life was like, and the tanning bed in his home sealed the deal.

Angelina Pivarnick, who appeared in the show’s first two seasons, said she was also out at a club when “I feel some girl tapping me on the shoulder” who then asked her to interview for the show. Jenni “JWoww” Farley actually auditioned for a different reality show, but producers thought she was a perfect fit for Jersey Shore.